Eastwood Snooker Bar & Grill

Just what London needs - another dimly lit pub claiming to be a 'sports bar and grill.' When I first walked into Eastwood Snooker Bar & Grill, I was ready to dismiss it as yet another wannabe establishment trying to elevate the humble pool hall into something more sophisticated. Spoiler alert: I was irritatingly wrong.

Let's address the elephant in the room - yes, it's primarily a snooker venue in London, which usually means sticky floors and the lingering aroma of decades-old beer. But Eastwood somehow manages to sidestep these traditional pitfalls with an almost offensive level of competence. The tables - and there are plenty of them - are maintained with the kind of attention usually reserved for luxury cars or first-born children.

The first crack in my cynical armor appeared when I witnessed the staff's genuine enthusiasm for the game. Roy, who I'm convinced lives there (though I'm assured he does occasionally go home), displays the kind of authentic passion that makes you forget you're in an era where most hospitality workers treat customers like inconvenient interruptions to their TikTok careers.

The snooker tables are, and I hate to admit this, absolutely magnificent. They're the kind of colossal beauties that make you feel like you're playing in the World Championship finals, even when you're embarrassingly missing the easiest shots. At £10 per hour for snooker and £8 for pool, it's practically stealing - though I'm sure they'll raise prices now that I've mentioned it.

What really throws you off balance is the bizarre yet brilliant addition of Indian food to the menu. In any other venue, this would be a red flag so large it could signal ships from space. But here, it works with an effectiveness that borders on the suspicious. The food isn't just edible - it's actually good. I'm as shocked as you are.

The atmosphere somehow manages to walk the tightrope between 'serious sporting venue' and 'comfortable local hangout' without falling into the abyss of trying too hard. The sports screens are positioned strategically enough that you can follow the match without feeling like you're in Times Square, and the lighting strikes that impossible balance between 'enough to see your shot' and 'dim enough to hide your shame when you miss it.'

Friday nights at Eastwood Snooker Bar & Grill are predictably busy, with London's amateur hustlers and after-work warriors competing for table time. But unlike most popular venues in the city, the crowd adds to the atmosphere rather than detracting from it. There's an unspoken code of conduct that even the rowdiest groups seem to respect - perhaps it's the presence of those imposing snooker tables demanding reverence.

The bar service is surprisingly competent, offering a decent selection of beers and wines that goes beyond the usual suspects. They've even managed to figure out how to serve drinks without making you feel like you're either being ignored or rushed - a feat that seems to elude most London establishments.

What's particularly refreshing about Eastwood is their lack of pretense. In a city where every other venue is trying to reinvent itself as a 'concept space' or 'experiential destination,' this place just gets on with being what it is - a really good snooker hall that happens to serve surprisingly decent food and drinks.

For the uninitiated, it's worth noting that booking ahead isn't just recommended - it's practically mandatory unless you enjoy disappointment. The venue's popularity with locals (always a good sign) means that prime-time slots fill up faster than a London tube during rush hour.

Look, I didn't want to like Eastwood Snooker Bar & Grill. I really didn't. But in a London landscape increasingly dominated by style over substance, this place offers something refreshingly genuine. Whether you're a serious player or someone who barely knows which end of the cue to hold, you'll find yourself reluctantly adding it to your list of regular haunts. Just don't all rush there at once - I still need to get my weekly fix of unexpectedly good curry and surprisingly competitive snooker.